Meta Aims to Mend Ties with Republicans, and It Appears to Be Effective
Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan has expressed his desire for Mark Zuckerberg to become an ally in the battle for free speech. Previously, during the last Congress, Jordan indicated that he might pursue contempt charges against Zuckerberg.
TroibNews 
Big Tech is making significant efforts to repair its relationship with Republicans as the party gains full control of Washington, and the efforts seem to be yielding results.
In a brief interview, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, who was once a strong critic of Meta, hinted at a change in his stance towards the company. On Tuesday, Meta announced it would terminate its third-party fact-checking efforts, among other changes intended to align the company with Elon Musk’s platform, X. Joel Kaplan, a former member of the Bush administration who recently took over as head of Meta’s global affairs, shared the news on "Fox & Friends," mentioning he had informed Jordan about the changes the day prior during what Jordan described as a “great call.”
Jordan expressed hope that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, previously an adversary, would become an ally in the fight for free speech. He also mentioned plans to meet with Zuckerberg during his upcoming visit to Washington. Jordan suggested he would redirect his considerable investigative focus on First Amendment issues to other matters, specifically emphasizing concerns about freedom of speech in Europe—a recent priority for his committee.
“Remember that a few years ago, [the social media platforms] all kicked President [Donald] Trump off the platform. Now, they’re all going to Mar-a-Lago to visit with him because they know like this Trump administration is pro-First Amendment, and pro-free speech, and so it’s a dramatic change,” Jordan noted. “We’re really appreciative of what Meta decided to do.”
This marks a stark contrast to the previous few years when Meta was frequently targeted by House Republicans seeking to link corporate misdeeds to their primary rival, President Joe Biden. Jordan has used his position to criticize Meta for allegedly suppressing conservative views, accusing Zuckerberg’s company of working with the Biden administration to stifle dissent. In the last Congress, he even threatened to hold Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress for not cooperating with his committee.
Jordan now points to the recent changes as evidence that his pressure on Meta bore fruit. However, it’s worth noting that not all Republicans may share his forgiving stance—the company will likely continue to face scrutiny from other legislative efforts beyond Jordan’s investigations. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the author of the Kids Online Safety Act, which seeks to impose stricter protections for children online, referred to Meta's announcement as a “ploy to avoid being regulated.”
From Meta’s perspective, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, hopes these recent adjustments will ease Republican scrutiny. One Meta lobbyist observed that many Republicans have responded positively to the new policies.
This lobbyist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide candid insights, indicated that while the initiatives aimed at countering misinformation were made in good faith, they often proved politically complicated. They tended to disappoint the left while angering the right, the lobbyist noted. Moreover, the Judiciary Committee's investigation into Meta had certainly cast the company in an unfavorable light.
"Would all this be happening if Trump didn’t get elected? Nobody knows," the lobbyist mused. "That’s not the world that we live in."
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on the developments.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a brief interview, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, who was once a strong critic of Meta, hinted at a change in his stance towards the company. On Tuesday, Meta announced it would terminate its third-party fact-checking efforts, among other changes intended to align the company with Elon Musk’s platform, X. Joel Kaplan, a former member of the Bush administration who recently took over as head of Meta’s global affairs, shared the news on "Fox & Friends," mentioning he had informed Jordan about the changes the day prior during what Jordan described as a “great call.”
Jordan expressed hope that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, previously an adversary, would become an ally in the fight for free speech. He also mentioned plans to meet with Zuckerberg during his upcoming visit to Washington. Jordan suggested he would redirect his considerable investigative focus on First Amendment issues to other matters, specifically emphasizing concerns about freedom of speech in Europe—a recent priority for his committee.
“Remember that a few years ago, [the social media platforms] all kicked President [Donald] Trump off the platform. Now, they’re all going to Mar-a-Lago to visit with him because they know like this Trump administration is pro-First Amendment, and pro-free speech, and so it’s a dramatic change,” Jordan noted. “We’re really appreciative of what Meta decided to do.”
This marks a stark contrast to the previous few years when Meta was frequently targeted by House Republicans seeking to link corporate misdeeds to their primary rival, President Joe Biden. Jordan has used his position to criticize Meta for allegedly suppressing conservative views, accusing Zuckerberg’s company of working with the Biden administration to stifle dissent. In the last Congress, he even threatened to hold Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress for not cooperating with his committee.
Jordan now points to the recent changes as evidence that his pressure on Meta bore fruit. However, it’s worth noting that not all Republicans may share his forgiving stance—the company will likely continue to face scrutiny from other legislative efforts beyond Jordan’s investigations. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the author of the Kids Online Safety Act, which seeks to impose stricter protections for children online, referred to Meta's announcement as a “ploy to avoid being regulated.”
From Meta’s perspective, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which contributed $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, hopes these recent adjustments will ease Republican scrutiny. One Meta lobbyist observed that many Republicans have responded positively to the new policies.
This lobbyist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide candid insights, indicated that while the initiatives aimed at countering misinformation were made in good faith, they often proved politically complicated. They tended to disappoint the left while angering the right, the lobbyist noted. Moreover, the Judiciary Committee's investigation into Meta had certainly cast the company in an unfavorable light.
"Would all this be happening if Trump didn’t get elected? Nobody knows," the lobbyist mused. "That’s not the world that we live in."
A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on the developments.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
